Corrected: Pilot Lost in Crop Duster Crash in New South Wales, Australia

What: Crop duster
Where: on Pangee Road, 85km south-west of Nyngan, New South Wales, Australia
When: Noon Dec 29
Who: Paul Corcoran
Why: On making a pass over a field, the plane crashed. The pilot was killed.

Paul Corocran was from Trangie, NSW, Australia. Nyngan the town near the accident site is a nearby town also in Western NSW. This accident was not in New Zealand

RaceCar Driver Survives Florida Plane Crash

What: twin-engine 1959 Beechcraft E18S
Where: Southwest Florida International Airport
When: Saturday Dec 27
Who: Pilot (race car driver) Ron Buccarelli
Why: After takeoff, the plane lost an engine and came down in a forested area about two miles from the airport. The pilot was able to contact the tower although he suffered several broken facial bones and a back injury.

ATR Emergency in New Zealand

What: Cook Airlines Air New Zealand ATR 72-500
Where: Wellington airport
When: Friday less than one minute after the flight’s departure for Christchurch
Who: 65 passengers on board, 4 crew
Why: engine was damaged seconds after takeoff, filling the cabin with smoke. Witnesses said something hit the right engine of the plane, followed by a bang. The pilot saw a warning indicator and shut down the right engine. We have no report of injuries.

Mooney Goes Down on Stuart Powell Field

What: 1967 Mooney Executive 21 en route from Boyle County KY Miami Fla
Where: Boyle County KY
When: 2:30 Saturday
Who: pilot 38-year old Bruce Bennett of Nicholasville, his wife and son
Why: After taking off from Stuart Powell Field and retracting the landing gear, the plane slid into the grass median between runways. The accident was due to high winds. There were no injuries.

Pilot Lingered after Crash

What: pilot/ director of Wings of Promise Inc., a nonprofit organization who flew charity flights for medical patients
Where: Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix
When: six weeks after a plane crash that killed his two passengers. The death occurred about 12:45 p.m
Who: Rocky Herring
Why: The pilot's injuries occurred November 14 when the Piper Cherokee plant he was flying lost power and crashed into a forested area.

Piper Crashes in Santo Domingo Pueblo

What: single-engine Piper
Where: Santo Domingo Pueblo.
When: 8:20 a.m. Sunday morning twelve miles southwest of the airport.
Who: 4 people on board were able to walk away
Why: The plane's cabin filled with smoke. The cause is under investigation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs

Denver Crash Update: Pilot Released

Just released from University of Colorado Hospital is the pilot of the continental Boeing that crashed in Denver on December 20. Thirty-eight were hospitalized; one was released with the pilot. Two remain still in the hospital in recovery.

Read More on the Denver Crash

Single Engine Plane Crashes in Florida

What: single-engine Beechcraft en route from RSW to Fort Lauderdale
Where: near Southwest Florida International Airport off Daniels Parkway near Gateway.
When: Saturday afternoon
Who: The pilot was the only person on board
Why: Pilot experienced engine trouble right after takeoff from Runway 6. He was airlifted by helicopter to Lee Memorial Hospital

New South Wales Crash on Christmas Day

What: single-engine Cessna en route from Mudgee to rural NSW
Where: west of Merriwa in the Great Dividing Range, New South Wales
When: Dec 25
Who: pilot Scott Kennedy-Green and brother-in-law, Matthew Green. Green died at the scene. The pilot survived and was winched to safety at 1 pm, with chest and pelvic injuries, and leg fractures. He is recuperating at Sydney's Westmead Hospital.
Why: The pilot lost control in heavy cloudcover and rain, and crashed in a ravine in the upper Hunter Valley

The piliot set crash site co-ordinates by CB radio but had to spend the night out in the elements as conditions prevented his recovery until 1 pm the next day.

The wreck was located at 10 in the morning Dec 26th, lying upside down with a wing torn off

Emergency Landing in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

What: US Airways Express Flight (Piedmont Airlines) 4558 Dash-8 en route from Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, N.Y
Where: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport
When: 5:25 p.m. Thurs Dec 25
Who: 32 passengers
Why: Plane requested emergency landing due to smoke in cockpit. Passengers debarked at the airport and took other flights.

Helicopter Crashes in Salters SC

What: Helicopter
Where: a field near Haddock's Flying Services, in Salters
When: 2:45 p.m. Dec 25
Who: Two men aboard. One was taken by ambulance to a local hospital; the other airlifted to Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston in serious condition.
Why: The helicopter experienced mechanical problems

Aguanga Crash update

What: Beech V35B, N1587L en route from Chino California to Aguanga, CA
Where: Aguanga, CA . off Highway 79, just south of the Riverside-San Diego County Line. T
When: December 20, 2008 1330 Pacific standard time
Who:
Why: Plane damaged following impact with terrain while maneuvering near Aguanga, California. The certificated private pilot and the sole passenger were killed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight departed the Chino Airport (CNO), Chino, California, about 1300. The airplane had impacted an open field in a nose low, wings level attitude, on a magnetic heading of 275 degrees. The airplane came to rest in an upright position. The cabin and cockpit areas were destroyed, the empennage was intact, and both wings had sustained structural damage. The nose gear, both main landing gear, and the flaps were observed in the retracted position. The engine remained attached to the fuselage, and the three-bladed propeller remained attached to the engine's crankshaft. The presence of fuel by smell but there was no fire.

Marco Island Crash

What: C172 Skyhawk XP
Where: MARCO ISLAND FL
When: 12/17/2008
Who: Pilot was the only one aboard.
Why: THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, WRECKAGE LOCATED 10 MILES OFF THE COAST NEAR MARCO ISLAND, FL

Pilot Killed 500 feet from Airport

What: plane registered to Steven P. Reamer en route from Piedmont Triad International Airport to o Gainesville, Fla
Where: 500 feet short of the runway at Anson County Airport.
When: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25 3 pm
Who: Pilot Steven P. Reamer was killed in the crash. His wife Pamela was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.
Why: The plane was having engine problems. Witnesses report the motor was sporadic and sputtering

Emergency Landing in Atlanta

What: Cessna 210
Where: Atlanta GA
When: 5:07 p.m. Tuesday.
Who: Pilot was the only one aboard
Why: problem with the plane's landing gear.

Turbulence on Virgin Blue Scalds Passenger

What: Virgin Blue Airlines Flight DJ-853 Boeing 737-800, registration VH-VUE en route from Melbourne,VI to Sydney,NS (Australia)
Where: between Melbourne and Sydney,
When: Dec 24th 2008, 20 minutes before landing
Why: severe clear air turbulence about 50 minutes into the flight and 20 minutes prior to landing. The flight attendant was knocked off her feet and poured a pot of coffee into a 64 year old passenger's lap. The flight attendant prevented the woman from undoing her seat belt, although the woman was treated by paramedics at the terminal

Norad Santa Tracker

Click the above link to visit Norad's Santa Tracker page tracking in Google Maps. OR you can
also track Santa in Google Earth – which lets you see 3D mountains, valleys, and buildings.

Batesville Beech Crashes

What: 1971 Beech B55 registered to Benny W. Green of Rockwall, Texas. en route from from Rockwall, Texas, to Batesville
Where: Batesville Municipal Airport
When: December 24, 2008 just before 2 p.m.
Who: Benny Green, who was piloting the plane, and his wife, 62-year-old Linda Green
Why: On landing, the plane left the end of the long runway, skidded and struck a cement culvert. The plane which was loaded with presents sustained significant damage. The pilot and passenger were injured.

Culebra Mountain Crash Update

What: Beechcraft Baron registered to a party in Canada en route from Pueblo to Santa Fe, N.M
Where: the crash site was found Sunday near Vermejo Peak in the Culebra mountain range near Las Animas County
When: around 10 p.m. Saturday.
Who: Two people died in the crash, Gerrit Maureau and his wife, Dr. Shiela Malm died when their twin-engine plane crashed after refueling in Pueblo.
Why: Air Traffic Control lost contact with the plane around 10 p.m. Saturday. Weather has hampered recovery efforts. 15 rescuers will be flown by the military helicopter above the crash site. They will then be dropped off near the site and do the rest of the trek on foot. It is still snowing.

Emergency Landing Clovis NM

What: TBM-700
Where: CLOVIS, NM
When: 12/23/2008 0045
Who: 1 pilot, 3 passengers
Why: GEAR COLLAPSED ON LANDING

Malibu Mirage Crashes at Hayden Airport

What: 1986 Piper PA-46 Malibu, Malibu Mirage s inbound from Hutchinson, Kan
Where: YAMPA VALLEY AIRPORT, HAYDEN, CO 2 ½ miles northwest of Elkhead Reservoir
When: 12/22/2008 Time: 1920
Who: Pilot and passenger Joseph and Suzette Brumleve
Why: The pilot told the control tower that he was having trouble with the plane's landing gear. Piper crashes on approach, 10 miles west of the runway at Yampa Valley Regional Airport in Hayden. The deceased couple was part of an investment group attempting to purchase the Steamboat Ski Area.

The pilot "did a fly-by of the runway and was in a right turn to get on a heading for the runway when about three-quarters of the way through the turn he made an unexpected left bank"

Piper Cub Crashes Tree in Alaska

What: PA-18 Super Cub
Where: 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF
ANCHORAGE, AK
When: 12/21/2008 Time: 0030
Who: pilot
Why: Aircraft struck tree during aborted take-off 30 miles NW of Anchorage SK

Piper's Emergency Belly Landing in Grand Bahamas Injures No one

What: twin engine Piper Aztec en route from Nassau to Freeport
Where: Runway 24 at the Grand Bahama International Airport.
When: Sunday
Who: pilot of the aircraft, 33-year-old Brevis Cox and four passengers: Ashnell Miller, Thera Seymour, Darren Rahming, and Jinnah Forde
Why: On landing, both landing gears collapsed, After the successful emergency "belly" landing, the landing gear and wing flap were damaged.

Air Line Pilots Association Statement on Continental Airlines Flight 1404

Release #08.61
December 22, 2008

WASHINGTON – The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, issued the following statement regarding the Continental Airlines Flight 1404 accident that took place in Denver on Saturday, December 20, 2008.

“The thoughts of the Continental pilots and every member of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, are with the crew, passengers, and all who were affected by the accident that took place in Denver. ALPA is a party to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation and cannot comment on the accident at this time.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilots union representing 52,500 pilots at 36 airlines in the United States and Canada, including 5,000 Continental Airlines pilots.

Aviation Safety Action Program

Because of management issues, labor vs management issues, and the question of how much protection should pilots/crew have when they make a mistake, a number of big carriers have dropped the Aviation Safety Action Program. THe official goal of the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) is "to enhance aviation safety through the prevention of accidents and incidents. Its focus is to encourage voluntary reporting of safety issues and events that come to the attention of employees of certain certificate holders."

But pilots are being punished for their honesty.

The program that is being dropped allows pilots and other airline workers to report mistakes they've made and safety issues.

This enables carriers to spot trends before they become safety issues.

So..why have Delta, American, U. S. Airways and Com Air dropped the program?

Should we even FLY these carriers if they are not following ASAP?

2 Quad-City International Airport Emergencies

What: Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 5322 CRJ 200
Where: Quad-City International Airport
When: December 22, 2008 3 pm
Who: 46 passengers, 3 crew members
Why: There was a problem with a wing flap

A second plane, Flight 5381, returned to Quad-City International Airport about an hour after it left with a similar wing flap problem.

Probable Fatal Crash in the Culebra Mountain Range

What: Beechcraft Baron registered to a party in Canada en route from Pueblo to Santa Fe, N.M
Where: the crash site was found Sunday in the Culebra mountain range near Las Animas County
When: around 10 p.m. Saturday.
Who: Two people are presumed dead
Why: Air Traffic Control lost contact with the plane around 10 p.m. Saturday. Recovery efforts will begin again Monday if weather permits.

Emergency Landing at Idaho Falls

What: Cessna Citation x en route to Jackson Hole
Where: emergency landing at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport
When: before 3p.m. Saturday afternoon
Who: Family aboard eventually took a limousine from Idaho Falls to Jackson Hole.
Why: Plane experienced mechanical difficulties and landed safely with no injuries.

Mexico Crash kills Water Commission Chief

What: Cessna Centurion crashed
Where: just before reaching the airport in Ramos Arispe in northern Mexican state of Coahuila
When: Friday
Who: 5 Passengers included state water commission chief, his assistant and two TV Azteca reporters.
Why: Engine lost power, then hit high-voltage wires before crashing and burning/

Emilio Bichara Marcos and Rafael Reyes died in the crash. Two reporters and the pilot are still hospitalized.

Pilot crashes in Winter Garden

Cessna Floatplane Pictured
What: SeaRay seaplane
Where: St. Johns Lake near the Deer Isle subdivision in Winter Garden in West Orange County Florida
When: Saturday afternoon
Who: Pilot sustained no significant injuries
Why: Currently under investigation by the FAA

After crashing, the plane was submerged with the pilot's head just above water. Witnesses attempted to free him, but he remained trapped until extricated by Orange County rescue.

San Diego County Plane Near Warner Springs Crash Kills Two

What: single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza registered in Las Vegas
Where: off Highway 79 near Oak Grove, just south of the Riverside County town of Aguanga; north of Palomar Mountain and about 55 miles northeast of San Diego
When: Saturday 1:30 p.m.
Who: Pilot and passenger died
Why: The weather was clear, but there were windy conditions

Continental Boeing Crashes and Burns on Takeoff

What: Continental Airlines Boeing 737 flight 1404 Denver to Houston Registration N18611
Where: Denver International Airport on runway 34 Right
When: 20 DEC 2008 18:18 local time
Who: 107 passengers 5 crew (at least 38 injured, nothing life-threatening) Ten passengers were taken to Denver Health. 15 passengers were taken to the Medical Center of Aurora. University Hospital in Aurora took in eight. Four passengers were taken to Swedish Hospital
Why: The plane suffered a runway excursion at runway 34R during takeoff, slid into a ditch and caught fire after the crash. The #1 engine separated from the wing and the undercarriage collapsed. There was a 31 knot (36 mph) crosswind.
Passengers debarked on emergency slides as the plane burned. 38 people were taken to 4 Denver hospitals with injuries ranging from broken bones to bumps and bruises. Fire burned the right side of the plane. Two patients at University of Colorado Hospital initially listed in fair condition were downgraded to critical condition with fractures.

By the time the passengers had evacuated, the fire had spread inside and started melting the luggage compartments.


Debris remained on the runway, with the plane about 200 yards away and its landing gear and left engine shorn off.

The plane's first flight was 1994-05-31.It has 2 CFMI CFM56-3C1 engines.

Piper Crashes in Hawaii, multiple injured

What: single-engine Piper Cherokee registered to Offshore Flight School Inc
Where: near White Plains Beach, near Kalaeloa, the former Barbers Point the former Barbers Point, Hawaii
When: 11:46 a.m.
Who: two women and a man were injured in the crash. The official opinion of the pilot is that she did a good job in not stalling the plane.
Why: The pilot reported steering problems shortly after takeoff. The plane was flying practice routes around Kalaeloa and lost power on departure. On attempting an emergency landing, the plane flew through power lines, plunged through trees that broke off the aircraft's wings and crashed just outside the runway area.

Offshore Flight School gives flight lessons to Japanese tourists.

NTSB Preliminary Report on Nov 30 Homosassa Crash

What: small BEECH 35-B33, registration: N945T registered to the Eagle Squadron Inc en route from Tallahassee to Vandenberg Airport
Where: lost from radar over the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf off Homosassa
When: Nov. 30
Who: pilot Darien Peckham and passenger Zachary Schlitt both fatalities
Why: Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed.The last radar hit was latitude 28.47:00 North and longitude 082.54:00 west. The airplane was on a heading of 143 degrees and mode c altitude was 5,000 feet mean sea level (msl). The United States Coast Guard located debris matching the description of the airplanes colors and personal effects from the persons onboard, several miles off shore from Homosassa Bay, FL, on the morning of December 1, 2008.

Satellite weather imagery depicted a line of clouds along the front and over the last radar hit, consisting of nimbostratus to embedded cumulonimbus clouds with level 3 to 4 "heavy" intensity echoes. Sounding data has winds from the west at 50 knots at 5,000 feet, with a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius. There were in-flight weather advisories issued, including an AIRMET for occasional moderate turbulence below 12,000 feet over the region.

The pilot, age 35, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, multiengine airplane, and instrument airplane. He was issued a first-class medical certificate on May 31, 2007, with no limitation. He had documented 950 total hours at that time.

The passenger, age 28, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land. He was issued a third-class medical certificate on Oct 23, 2006, with no limitation. He had documented 130 total hours at that time.

Pilot Dies in Uniontown Ohio Plane Crash

What: Piper Saratoga en route from Pennsylvania to the Akron Canton Airport
Where: 2.5 miles from the Akron Canton airport in between two houses on Charolais Street NW in Uniontown.
When: 6:00 Friday evening,
Who: pilot Michael Connell died in the crash.
Why: The plane was on approach to runway 23 but landed 2.5 miles short of the airport. The garage of one of the houses burned. The FAA is investigating

Argentina Plane Crash

What: Twin-engine plane described as "a little training plane with capacity for two people" en route from San Fernando airport to Entre Rios.
Where: 150 METRES FROM TIGRE/PAN-AMERICAN HIGHWAY near service station on the outskirts of Buenos Aires Argentina
When: Thursday Thurs Dec 18
Who: Both Pilot and passenger were killed
Why: Pilot attempted emergency landing on PanAmerican Highway but crashed into two trucks and bursts into flames.

Emergency Landing for Piper Cherokee at Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport

What: single-engine Piper Cherokee
Where: landing at Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport
When: Thursday 5 p.m.
Who: The pilot was the only one aboard
Why: Prior to requesting clearance, the pilot called air traffic control reporting engine trouble.

Small Experimental Plane Makes Emergency Landing on Pennsylvania Turnpike

What: Small experimental airplane registered to Michael Hannagan en route from Endicott, New York to Atlanta, Georgia.
Where: Emergency Landing near Pennsylvania Turnpike south of the Newville Exit, in rural Cumberland County.
When: Thursday 1 o'clock
Who: The unnamed pilot walked away from the crash.
Why: The pilot lost half power, attempted to land on the turnpike but struck a tractor ahead of him. FAA is investigating

Beechcraft Bonanza in KY Crash

What: Air Ops LLC Beechcraft Bonanza registered to TFB Aviation LLC of Mingo, Iowa. The air taxi was flying en route from from Midway Airport in Chicago when the pilot experienced problems
Where: near the Tom Sawyer State Park and the Indian Springs Golf Club, near Louisville KY
When: Thursday Morning Dec 18
Who: Pilot Evan Freeman, a 25-year-old pilot from Louisville was killed in the crash
Why: The crash is under investigation

Emergency landing in Chillicothe

What: single engine 1965 model Cessna en route from Mosby, Mo., to Macon
Where: two miles southwest of Chillicothe Municipal Airport in a field near the Harry Hayen residence.
When: 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Who: Pilot and passenger were unhurt.
Why: Kansas City Aviation Center notified the Chillicothe airport that the plane was experiencing trouble and would not make it to the airport. The plane experienced an engine malfunction but landed safely.

Wind, Storm Crashes Helicopter in Santa Clarita

What: Swanson Aviation Group Helicopter hired by Southern California Edison to string electrical line
Where: Santa Clarita area north of Los Angeles behind Lombardi Ranch on Bouquet Canyon Road.
Who: 1 fatality. The pilot sustained minor injuries.It is unclear if Curtis Cauthen of Ashfork, CA.--the mechanic on the ground-- worked for the helicopter company or the electrical company.) Curtis was caught by the rotor blades and sustained fatal injuries.
Why: The helicopter was hoving above-ground when a gust of wind wind caused the helicopter to spiral.

Port in the Storm: Jackson-Evers International Airport

What: nine diversions and an emergency landing
Where: Jackson-Evers International Airport
When: Thursday Dec 18

It sounds bad, but really it means that Jackson-Evers International Airport is a real port in the storm. All these diversions and no disasters. Good Job, Jackson-Evers

• Continental flight en route to New York's LaGuardia airport flew in with engine trouble.
  
• Six were out of the Little Rock, Arkansas airport where there was a problem with runway lights.
  
• Several flights were diverted to Jackson from Tulsa, Oklahoma due to weather.
  

NTSB Advisory : NTSB INVESTIGATING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER ON DELTA AIR LINES BOEING 777

NTSB Advisory
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
December 18, 2008

NTSB INVESTIGATING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER ON DELTA AIR LINES BOEING 777

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating an incident in which a Delta Air Lines Boeing 777 experienced an uncommanded engine rollback in the cruise phase of an intercontinental flight.

On November 26, 2008, at about 12:30 pm MST, in the vicinity of Great Falls, Montana, a 777-200ER (N862DA), operated by Delta Air Lines as Flight 18, en route from Shanghai to Atlanta, experienced an uncommanded rollback of the right (number 2) Rolls-Royce Trent 895 engine while at 39,000 feet in the cruise phase of flight. The crew executed applicable flight manual procedures and descended to 31,000 feet. The engine recovered and responded normally thereafter. The flight continued to Atlanta where it landed without further incident. None of the crew of 15 or 232 passengers was injured.

Flight data recorders and other applicable data and components were retrieved from the airplane for testing and evaluation. Both of the pilots have been interviewed. This event is preceded by another airline's 777 equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 895 engines, which experienced an uncommanded dual engine rollback while on final approach to London's Heathrow International Airport on January 17, 2008, crashing short of the runway on airport property. The United Kingdom's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is investigating that accident.

NTSB Senior Air Safety Investigator Bill English, who is serving as the U.S. Accredited Representative in the Heathrow accident investigation, is the Investigator in Charge of the Delta incident.

The AAIB, which has assigned an Accredited Representative to the Delta incident, is working closely with the NTSB to determine if there are issues common to both events. Parties to the investigation are: the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Eaton-Argotech, Delta Air Lines, and the Air Line Pilots Association.

###

NTSB Media Contact: Peter Knudson (202) 314-6100 peter.knudson@ntsb.gov

Cessna and Liberty Collide over Australia

What: Cessna 152 owned by Basair Aviation College
a single-engine Liberty owned by Sydney Flight Training Centre
Where: Flame Tree Street, Casula, in Sydney's southwest
When: 11.30am (AEST) on Thursday
Who: Two fatalities: a woman instructor and her female student pilot.
On the Liberty, the 89-year-old male instructor and a 25-year-old male student pilot were unhurt
Why: Plane clipped another light aircraft in mid-air. One plane managed to make it to Bankstown Airport. The other plane landed in a yard, destroying the back of the house and a pergola.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating.

Mystery Cessna Crash off Florida Coast

What: Cessna 172
Where: off the coast of Goodland near Cape Romano
When: Wednesday evening. A witness called in at 7:45 p.m
Who: one known fatality
Why: The Federal Aviation Administration and Naples Municipal Airport is currently trying to identify the plane and passenger. The plane broke into pieces upon impact with the water

Cessna emergency Landing in Toledo

What: Cessna
Where: Toledo Express Airport
When: 3 p.m. on Tuesday, December 16.
Who: five passengers
Why: The pilot sent an emergency radio request reporting a hydraulic malfunction, and then landed safely at the airport while emergency crews were on standby

Upside Down Plane found at Sunrise Dairy

What: Single engine, fixed wing crop duster type plane belonged to Gilbert Aviation.
Where: Tulare County : Sunrise Dairy Property around Road 84 and Ave. 384 near Kingsburg.
When: Tuesday Dec 16 10:05 a..m.
Who: The unidentified pilot was taken to Kaweah Delta Hospital
Why: The accident is under investigation.

United successful Belly Landing at O'Hare

What: The United Express flight 7164, en route from O'Hare bound for South Bend
Where: O'Hare Airport
When: Monday night Dec 15
Who: 28 passengers and 4 crew members
Why: The plane was about to land in South Bend but instead, circled the airport and returned to Chicago because of a landing gear problem. When the plane hit the tarmac, the left wing shot sparks. The belly landing as the plane slid down the runway, half on its belly.

Delta Emergency Landing at Quad City International Airport

What: Delta Flight 5083 en route from Cedar Rapids to Cincinnati
Where: Quad City International Airport.
When: Tuesday Dec 16, 2008 around noon
Who: 38 people were on board
Why: The pilot reported flap problems. Limited visibility prevented a return to Cedar Rapids. The plane landed safely.

Sabine Helicopter Crash update

What: Helicopter owned by leasing company Rotorcraft en route to an unmanned oil rig platform 18-miles off-shore
Where: Gulf of Mexico, about two miles below Sabine Pass at the border of Texas and Louisiana
When: Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008
Who: 5 on board. The pilot of the helicopter was identified as Joe Laugelle
Why: Cause is under investigation; however there was a weather advisory in effect at the time of the crash
One of the victims of the crash --Jacob Matt--has washed ashore near the McFaddin Wildlife Refuge. One victim John Larry Conn, was buried Sunday. James Cody Smalts who had just moved in with his fiance, Monica Lopez was buried Monday. One victim --Nick Hebert from Basile, Louisiana--hasn't been recovered.

original post follows
At the time of the crash, air temp was 36 degrees; water temp 62 degrees. Wind was from the west at 23 knots, and there was a weather advisory. The body of John Laguelle is one of those recovered. Two other crew members whose bodies were recovered were wearing personal floatation devices. A search is ongoing for two others. All four passengers were crew members for a contract customer of Rotorcraft. The pilot also worked part-time as a helicopter pilot for a television station in Boston.


Video opens in separate window

Turks and Caicos Island Crash, 12 Missing.

What: Línea Aérea Puertorriqueña (LAP)'s Atlantis Airlines Britten-Norman BN-2A Trislander Mk.III-2 en route from Santa Domingo in the Dominican Republic to Managua, Bahamas, registration N650LP. The airport of departure was Santiago de los Caballeros-Cibao International Airport (STI/MDST) and the scheduled destination was Mayaguana Airport
Where: off the coast of the Turks and Caicos Islands
When: Monday December 15, 2008
Who: 1 pilot, 11 passengers missing.
Why: The flight's mayday call was picked up on Monday 16 miles off the coast of Providenciales. Rescue effort were called off Monday due to adverse weather conditions

The BN-2A Trislander en route from Santiago de los Caballeros-Cibao International Airport Dominican Republic to Mayaguana Bahamas. It departed at 16:06. An hour into the flight, the pilot contacted Providenciales ATC reporting an emergency. The airplane crashed shortly after the distress call. Asociación Nacional de Pilotos reported that the pilot's licence was suspended in October 2006.

Beechcraft Fatality in Texas Hill Country

What: Western Wings Corp's 1993 Beechcraft King Air 90 twin turboprop departed Hondo Municipal Airport at 12:10 p.m.
Where: 30 miles west of Rocksprings, Texas in the Texas Hill Country (nearly eight miles down a dirt road east of Texas Highway 277)
Who: Pilot George Anthony “Tony” Kuhn rated a commercial pilot for both single-engine and multi-engine planes and once a flight instructor.
Why: Pilot reported that the autopilot controls failed and he was having trouble controlling the plane; an air traffic controller noticed the plane deviating from the flight plan, and lost radio contact at 24,000 feet.

The plane which was listed as having 3,712 hours in the air, had been offered for sale tin 2008 for $2.2 million

One Engined French Airbus Manages to Avoid Crashing in Tunis

What: Air France Airbus single-aisle A321 en route to Paris
Where: Tunisian capital's Carthage Airport.
When: 12-14- Sunday
Who: 209 passengers and crew members
Why: The flight turned back 15 minutes after take off due to a technical problem in one engine. Psychological counseling was provided to passengers to alleviate the panic.

Helicopter flips on Tohopekaliga lake

What: helicopter spraying herbicide on Lake Tohopekaliga Florida
Where: near Southport Park near the southern end of the 18,810-acre lake.
When: around 10:30 a.m.
Who: only the pilot was aboard. He was uninjured.
Why: The helicopter flew too low, touched the water and flipped into the lake.

South Florida Water Management District says no fuel or herbicide spilled into the lake

Cessna Emergency Landing in the Blueberry Barrens, Maine

What: single-engine Cessna 182 on a routine cross-country training flight, after leaving Biddeford Municipal Airport on the second leg of the flight.
Where: field in Kennebunk Maine known as the Blueberry Barrens.
When: December 15, 2008-Monday afternoon
Who: Pilot/flight instructor Tim Campbell and student pilot Bob Irving
Why: The pilot heard unusual noises and saw smoke coming from the plane's engine, with low oil pressure. He made an emergency landing experiencing "catastrophic engine failure." The pilot intended to keep the plane's nose up to make Sanford Airport, but realizing he could not make it, he notified the airport, shut of his fuel and landed in the field without injury and without visible damage to the plane.

Bloodied Pilot survives Florida Crash

What: Mooney M-20G registered to Wendy Taber, of Greenacres, and co-owners Gerald Taber and Jim McAlister. The flight came down while en route from Lantana to Titusville
Where: near Englar Drive and Harris Road, Indian River County
When: Midnight Friday
Who: Injured pilot was taken to the Sebastian River Medical Center, and is in stable condition. He does not recall the crash, but bruised and bloody walked a quarter of a mile to a residence to make a call to 911.
Why: Under Investigation. The plane apparently clipped trees coming down, breaking the wings off the intact fuselage.

Philadelphia Incident Sunday

What: US Airways Express CRJ Jet operated by Air Wisconsin en route from Norfolk, Va to Philadelphia.
Where: Philadelphia International Airport
When: 5:30 pm Sunday
Who: 3 people aboard, the captain, first officer and a flight attendant. The plane can hold 50 passengers
Why: The pilot reported problems with the landing gear. The plane landed safely on runway 27 Left on foam though its left landing gear was not down. Sparks were seen on the runway at landing, but no injuries were reported. The plane carries 3000 lb of fuel.

Emergency Landing in field, no injuries and little damage

What: en route from Perland to Meacham
Where: land the plane safely in a field near Mark IV Parkway and Loop 820
When: 10 am reported engine trouble
Who: 2 people aboard
Why: After reporting that the plane's engine was running rough, the pilot was able to land in the field safely.

Taranaki Crash kills Pilot

What: crop duster (model not indicated)
Where: crashed into the hillside on farmland above the Waitara River in a paddock in Tarata, 19km east of Inglewood
When: noon 14 December 2008
Who: pilot a man in his 40s died on the scene
Why: Cause unknown

Plane Falls in Pieces to Golf Course

What: small plane, probably (but not definitively) Forney Aircoupe from the Avon Park airport
Where: among trees between the 10th, 12th and 14th fairways in Golf Hammock, a golf community west of Sebring in Highlands County
When: 11:30 a.m. Saturday
Who: Pilot James Weener, and passenger James Richer
Why: Witnesses saw black smoke, heard the plane's engine over-revving, then the plane came apart and in fell in pieces from the sky. A witness said "Some small parts came off first, then the wing came off and the tail shot off. It just disintegrated in midair."

Fuel Tank Jettisoned into Great Salt Lake; Safe Emergency landing

What: 388th Fighter Wing F-16
Where: Great Salt Lake, approximately three miles north of Antelope Island
When: Friday.
Who: Pilot
Why: When sensors indicated a fire condition, the pilot jettisoned the plane's two external fuel tanks (emergency procedures ) o lighten the plane. (Great Salt Lake is "unpopulated")

The Fighter Wing F-16 landed safely around 10:20 a.m. The tanks were 3/4 full, and are capable of carrying 370 gallons. Procedures are underway to retrieve the tanks.

Emergency landing in Alondra Intermediate School, CA

What: Los Angeles Aviation Inc Robinson R22 out of the Long Beach Airport.
Where: football field of Alondra Intermediate School in Paramount
When: Just before noon Friday
Who: No passengers were mentioned.
Why: After the pilot reported a problem with the engine drive belt, he made a successful emergency landing.

Update: F/A-18 Crash in San Diego

What: F/A-18 Military Jet from the carrier Abraham Lincoln landing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramir
Where: San Diego neighborhood
When: DEC 8
Who: the pilot, who was part of a training squadron, ejected. He had been aiming the plane at a deserted canyon to avoid homes and the 805 Freeway. 4 Individuals in the house are dead. The pilot has been transported to Balboa Naval Hospital
Why: Witnesses said, “It was mushing through the air...iIt was chugging along with what seemed like one engine. Then I heard a roar of engine and all of a sudden, woop, dead silence."

The deceased have been identified as 4 members of a Korean family. Dong Yun Yoon is the sole survivor--Lost in the crash were Young Mi Yoon, 36; her daughters Grace, 15 months, and Rachel, 2 months; and her mother, Suk Im Kim, 60.

Apparently caused by power failure, the crash is considered unrelated to the previous discovery of cracks in hinges on the wings of more than a dozen F/A-18s ( This writer, however, does wonder if the two problems reveal a maintenance factor in common--though hinge cracks seem that they would be related to parts, wear or broader manufacturing issues.)

Brazil's GOL Report

Brazil released a report Wednesday regarding the GOL crash. Specifically, the report concerns the Gol jet that collided over the Amazon rain forest with an Embraer Legacy 600 executive jet owned by ExcelAire Service Inc. of New York ; it concludes that the pilots of a New York-based executive jet had placed the transponder and collision avoidance system on standby before colliding with the Boeing 737 operated by GOL Linhaus Aereas Inteligentes SA on Sept. 29, 2006.

However, the two American pilots are not exclusively responsible. The NTSB opinion is that the rules and regulations that govern Brazilian air space, as well as the on duty air Brazilian traffic controllers are at fault. Brazilian air traffic controllers should have informed the Long Island pilots that their transponder was turned off. There's no indication that the Legacy's control panel indicated that the transponder was off.

The Legacy landed safely but everyone on the GOL jet died. Flight controllers failed to alert pilots that they were on a collision course and also did not notice--or communicate that the transponder was off.

The on duty flight controllers and the two U.S. pilots - Joseph Lepore and Jan Paladino have been indicted. They could get up to three years in prison.The pilots deny turning off the transponder. They claim to have been flying at the altitude designated by the air controllers. Their lawyer is quoted as saying “This accident was caused by a string of catastrophic errors committed by Brazilian air traffic controllers. In essence, they put and kept these two planes on a collision course.”

ExcelAire says that "the transponder issue is a distraction from the true cause of the accident, which is an air traffic control system that put two airplanes on a collision course for about an hour."

Families of the GOL victims may yet file a civil lawsuit in Brazil.

Continental Emergency Landing at Augusto C. Sandino International Airport

What: Continental Airlines
Where: Nicaragua Airport
When: Friday
Who: 150 passengers
Why: After citing "mechanic failures in the undercarriage" the plane circled to burn off fuel and made an emergency landing.

Two Still Missing in Gulf Helicoptor Crash

What: Helicopter owned by leasing company Rotorcraft en route to an unmanned oil rig platform 18-miles off-shore
Where: Gulf of Mexico, about two miles below Sabine Pass at the border of Texas and Louisiana
When: Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008
Who: 5 on board. The pilot of the helicopter was identified as Joe Laugelle
Why: Cause is under investigation; however there was a weather advisory in effect at the time of the crash

At the time of the crash, air temp was 36 degrees; water temp 62 degrees. Wind was from the west at 23 knots, and there was a weather advisory. The three crew members who were recovered were wearing personal floatation devices. A search is ongoing for two others. All four passengers were crew members for a contract customer of Rotorcraft.


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Mexico Learjet Crash Update: Another Update Another Death

A sixteenth victim of the Lear jet crash in Mexico has died. 85-year-old Victor Altamiranot died Thursday

The fifteenth victim of the Lear jet crash was a 44-year-old woman who died in the hospital.

The NTSB has concluded that wake turbulence was the problem that downed the jet. Air traffic controllers told the Learjet pilots to slow down significantly so as to not gain ground on the 767, but they flew into wake 4 miles behind the jet. This action has been interpreted as pilot error. Additionally, the contract pilots may not have been qualified on the jet as deficiencies in their certifications were uncovered.

The Learjet departed San Luis Potosí (SLP) at 18:04 on a flight to Mexico City (MEX). On board were a.o. Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, Deputy Attorney General Josi Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and Miguel Monterubio Cubas, the director of social communication.

The flight was uneventful and the Learjet passed LUCIA VOR at 18:40 and ATIZAPAN VOR at 18:42. It passed SAN MATEO VOR at 18:44, at an altitude of 11000 feet and an airspeed of 262 kts. It was trailing a Boeing 767-300 (Mexicana Flight 1692 from Buenos Aires). At 18:45 hours the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency which the pilot acknowledged but never contacter Mexico Tower. At 18:46 the flight was observed approaching runway 05L. The last radar position of the aircraft was 7.5 miles from the Mexico VOR on the 256 radial, at an altitude of 9700 feet at 185 kts airspeed.
The airplane crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.



What: Learjet 45 flown by the Mexican government en route from San Luis Potosí Airport (SLP/MMSP) to Mexico City-Benito Juárez International Airport
Where: Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City
When: 04 NOV 2008
Who: Passengers included:

• Mexican Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño, top aide to President Felipe Calderón.
  
• José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos-former assistant attorney general and current head of the federal technical secretariat for implementing the recent constitutional reforms on criminal justice and public security.
  
• Miguel Monterrubio, director general of social communications with the Interior Secretariat.
  
• Arcadio Echeverría, coordinator of special events, office of the Interior Secretary.
  
• Norma Díaz, director in the communications department of the Interior Secretariat.
  
• Julio César Ramírez Dávalos, pilot.
  
• Álvaro Sánchez, co-pilot.
  
• Gisel Carrillo, stewardess.

Why: At 18:45, although the aircraft was instructed to switch to the Tower frequency, the pilot acknowledged but never contacted the Mexico Tower. The Learjet then crashed on the Avenida Reforma and caught fire. Several cars were destroyed and at least five people on the ground were killed.

Voice Data Recorder Excerpts
Pilot: That one’s got some turbulence.
Co-pilot: Hey man.
Pilot: Hey [expletive].
Pilot: Alvaro, what do we do, Alvaro?
Co-pilot: Hand it over to me, hand it over to me, hand it over to me.
Pilot: It’s yours Alvaro.
Pilot: [expletive]
Pilot: No, Alvaro.
Co-pilot: Diosito.


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Delta Handles Double Emergency Landing

What: Delta Air Lines MD88 flight DL1102 en route from Washington Dulles,DC to Atlanta,GA
Where: diverted to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport for an emergency landing on runway 22.
When: 5 p.m. Thursday.
Who: 146 passengers and crew members
Why: Initially the crew noticed smoke in the cockpit and was diverted to Greenville-Spartanburg. Additionally on landing, one of the right main gear tires blew. Passengers were evacuated onto the taxiway using slides.

Cessna Crash in Lompoc Kills Pilot

What: single engine Cessna
Where: agricultural field off of D Street, behind Mervyns near Lompoc Airport Santa Barbara County
When: after 2:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon Dec 10
Who: 77-year-old pilot James Foley suffered injuries, was taken to hospital but did not survive.
Why: The plane was flying eratically, before crashing into wires and falling to the ground. The cause is under investigation.

Cessna Pilot Patient and Passenger Glides Safely to Emergency Landing

What: Cessna 210 en route from Aurora, Illinois to Holman Field in St. Paul (for patient pickup) en route to Waukegan, Illinois.
Where: Lake Elmo, MN, south of 10th Street North between Inwood Avenue North and Keats Avenue North, north of Interstate 94.
When: Wednesday morning 10:30 am Dec 10
Who: 1 pilot and 2 passengers
Why: Shortly after takeoff, the Angel Flight experienced engine problems at 3,000 feet. With insufficient power to stay in the air, the plane glided to a landing 1n a soybean field. Another Angel Flight volunteer pilot completed the cancer patient's flight to medical treatment.